


Sparks

by aer3



Category: Stardew Valley
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, Maru’s 2 Heart Event, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-15 18:11:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19301086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aer3/pseuds/aer3
Summary: Penny experiences Maru’s 2 Heart Event. It does not go well.This is a one-shot version of a story I’m working on. It’s been sitting on my computer for ages and I thought I’d go ahead and share it to see if there’s any interest in a Penny/Sebastian story.





	Sparks

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one-shot version of a story I’m working on. It’s been sitting on my computer for ages and I thought I’d go ahead and share it to see if there’s any interest in a Penny/Sebastian story.

        At last Penny was outside. She could feel the telltale tugging behind her eyes even as she pulled the door shut. The winter wind bit at her flesh, mocking her for leaving her scarf in Maru’s room. It wasn’t like she could go back for it. Not after _that_. She needed to get her head on straight before she went home. She wasn’t ready to deal with her mother right now. The bathhouse was nearby, it would be perfect at a time like this. The steam usually helped to ease the bitter ache that settled around her heart, though it could do nothing to stoke the flickering embers within. But as unpleasant as it was, she wanted to feel that dull ache a little longer.

        Instead her feet carried her to the waters edge and she decided to take refuge amongst the trees that lined the lake. She settled against a pine tree, grateful to find a patch of grass that had not been covered by the blanket of snow. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing. After a few deep breaths she felt some of the tension receding. The boughs rustled above her and she imagined her troubles scattering in the breeze until she was light enough to float off on the wind herself.

        The hooting of an owl drew her attention to the other side of the lake. She watched as the sun dipped below the horizon and the last rays of sunlight shimmered across the water.  At least it was beautiful out here.

        Her mind kept wandering back to Maru’s house, her father’s words echoing in her ears.  _Maybe it would be best for everyone if you stopped coming here._ She forced the thoughts away and tried to concentrate on her breathing again. Who has she kidding? She wasn’t light enough to be carried off on the wind, she’d sooner sink to the bottom of the lake.

        With her thoughts so focused inward, she did not hear the approaching footfalls. Sebastian was equally ignorant of her presence until he was almost right beside her. He may have jumped out of his skin if he wasn't so numb to the world around him.

        “Penny?”

        Her muscles jolted violently and she whirled around. “Sebastian?” Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, her lungs emptied too quickly and she felt the hot trail of tears. She was caught and she couldn’t imagine a worse person to find her in her current condition. How could she explain this? “H-Hey. I was just about to leave. I’ll go now.” She shot to her feet and had to steady herself to keep from toppling over. 

        He didn’t know how the conversation had started but he heard the last bit clearly enough to have an idea what this was about. 

        He saw a rare opportunity to commiserate with someone over the shortcomings of his stepfather. That it was Penny he'd wronged seemed to legitimize his long held belief that Demetrius was human garbage. 

        His fingers folded around the cool metal in his pocket. He clutched his lighter and turned it over in his palm, drawing comfort from the familiar motion. He wasn’t keen on company but he saw a kindred spirit and that spurred him past his doubts. 

        “You don’t have to go.”

        Penny settled back against the tree, a little confused but grateful nonetheless. As the sunlight faded and was slowly replaced by the silvery light of the moon, she was drawn to the lake once again. A path of lunar light resting on the surface of the water stretched out in front of her. If it could bear her weight where would it take her?

        Sebastian stood in his usual spot and waited for her to speak. He knew women. This was the part where she rattled off all that ailed her, not leaving out any details. She’d probably work in the evils of tobacco and why he shouldn’t be poisoning himself. Then she’d needle him about how he should try to make an effort with Maru _“You’re her big brother, don’t you know how much she loves you?”_ He sighed in frustration. What was he thinking? This was going be torture. Would the judgement ever end? As he sat there silently fuming, he turned to deal a preemptive glare and he realized she hadn’t spoken. Her eyes were focused on the horizon, distant and unseeing. Minutes stretched out between them and still she said nothing. 

        Flakes of snow swirled and danced around him. He watched as his breath came out in little puffs that faded into nothingness. He loved this time of year, but was glad for the scarf tucked around his neck. The air coming off the lake was bitter and unrelenting. Then he saw the slight tremor in her shoulders and the rosy tinge of her cheeks. He pulled at the scarf around his neck and offered it wordlessly as he walked up beside her. She looked so slight sitting there. He told himself it was for his own good. How was he supposed to ponder existentialism with her teeth rattling?

        “Thank you.” Her lips curved into a small smile as she took the proffered scarf and wrapped it around her neck. “Sorry, sort of forgot you were there.”

        Her tear-stained face glistened in the moonlight and he remembered why he hadn’t just turned around, pretending he’d never found her there at all.

        “Don’t take it personally. Demetrius is a dick.”

        She forced a laugh. “No, he’s—“

        “An asshole?”

        “—just worried about his daughter. He wants what’s best for her.” She looked away from him, out over the water. “She’s lucky to have a father who loves her so much.”

        He kicked the ground and shoved his hands into his hoodie. He pulled out a cigarette and turned away from her to light it before settling down beside her. “Yeah, what’s that like?”

        “I wouldn’t know.”

        He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut. _Yeah, make her feel worse._ This is why he usually kept his mouth shut. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—“

        She reached for him, a tentative hand hovering just above his arm. “It’s alright.” She smiled at him and he realized that somehow his attempt at comfort had failed so spectacularly that their roles had reversed.

        “No, it’s not. But I know what you mean.” He took a drag and studied the water. He waited for her to fill the silence, dreading any topic that she could bring up, but the silence stretched thin and brittle around them. “So how is being your friend going to mess things up for Maru?”

        “Heard that, did you?”

        He nodded. When she didn’t continue he turned to see her studying her hands. He had always equated her with the sun —  a brilliant ball of light, her very hair set aflame. He wondered just how wrong a person could be. The longer he looked at her, the more he wondered if he had ever truly seen her. True, she often smiled, but there was a sadness that lingered in the corners of her eyes. If they were all stones skipping across the water, how long before she started sinking? Was she already falling? “Kinda hard not to.”

        Silence prevailed once more and he felt the fear creep back as they sat there. What was he doing talking to this girl? He may have known her for years, but they'd never exchanged more than a few awkward words whenever their circles intersected.

        They spent years just hovering on the edges of each other’s lives. She was an extension of his best friend and his sister while obviously being neither. He'd discounted her before because of her friendship with Maru. Just another example of how his sister seemed to have it all.

        “I don’t know, I guess I could see why he might think I’m not good company.”

        He watched as she crumpled before him, as a supernova contracts under the pressure of the universe. She seemed so fragile. A puff of air could reduce her to a lonely trail of smoke, swirling around him before disappearing on the wind. Or maybe he could breathe her into his lungs where she could linger in his heart and rush through his blood. He took a deep breath before shaking the thought away.

        “You? What utter bullshit. You’re the sweetest girl in Pelican Town.”

        She ducked her head to hide the color rising in her cheeks but he saw her smile brighten.

        He studied her profile as she stared out at the lake. “You don’t deal crack on the side, do you?”

        Her eyes snapped back to him and she laughed. “I spend my days with Jas and Vincent. The most illicit substance I handle is Vincent’s gummy worms.”

        His voice dropped as he leaned toward her. “Better keep your voice down. You don’t want Demetrius to find out you deal candy.”

        Starlight twinkled in her eyes as their voices mingled in laughter and he wondered what her lips tasted like. When he spoke again the mirth in his voice was gone, replaced by quiet wonder. “You should do that more often.”

        She tilted her head, blinking slowly. “What, deal candy?”

        “Laugh.”

        “So should you.”

        Now it was his turn to hide the blush that crept down his neck. He clutched his lighter again, willing the thrumming of his heartbeat to return to normal. He withdrew it from his pocket and let his fingers settle into the familiar rhythm of turning it over in his palm, flicking it open and igniting the butane. 

        He watched the flame flutter in the wind and his eyes found Penny once more. He flicked it closed and thrust his closed fist toward her, waiting.

        Her smile faltered as she shook her head. “Thanks, but I don’t smoke.”

        His answering smile grew as he simply offered his fist again.

        She turned her hand over and he pressed the lighter into her open palm. She studied it, utter confusion etched on her face. Her thumb brushed over the glossy metal, still warm from Sebastian’s hand. At a loss she looked back to him, eyes drawn in an unvoiced question.

        “Don’t let your fire go out.”

        “My... fire?”

        His confidence shaken, he closed his eyes and pressed his thumb into the bridge of his nose. “That sounded better in my head.” But when he looked again she was smiling brighter than he’d ever seen and he knew he’d made the right decision.

        “So are, uh, you alright?”

        She nodded. “I will be.” She wiped at her eyes then stood, brushed off her skirt and wrapped her arms around herself. She reached for the scarf to give it back to Sebastian. “But I should probably get back. Thank you.”

        “Keep it. I never get cold anyway.”

        “Are you sure?” He nodded and she smiled a silent thank you.  She turned to go, took a few steps then paused and turned back around. “Please don’t tell Maru about this.”

        “About what?”

        She smiled and nodded, then set off on the path back to town.


End file.
